Hybrid Thermal and Electromagnetic Field-Assisted Desalination: A Bibliometric and Research Trends Analysis

Abstract

The problem of water resource shortage has emerged as one of the most serious issues globally, and the efficient desalination of seawater and brackish water has gained prominence. The need for desalination is imperative if human beings, animals, and plants are to thrive. The role of desalination is vital in making the planet sustainable, and without water, we cannot live. The thermal process of desalination, including multi-effect distillation, multi-stage-flash distillation, thermal vapor compression, and mechanical vapor compression, has been widely practiced, but its high energy requirement and pollution render its performance suboptimal. To address these issues, this research applies bibliometrics by making effective use of the Scopus database, an Elsevier publication, covering 2019-2025, and throws light on trends and developments in thermal desalination and electromagnetic field-assisted systems. VOSviewer was used to prepare collaboration world maps and maps of evolving keywords. The findings suggest that there has been considerable interest in hybrid systems of desalination with the assistance of electromagnetic fields, and research output has been contributed by major research countries worldwide.